New Antioch Police Officer Jose Hernandez and Chief Allan Cantando following the oath of office ceremony, Monday, April 18, 2016

By Allen Payton

At a ceremony, Monday afternoon April 18, Antioch Mayor Wade Harper administered the oath of office to new Police Officer Jose Hernandez, as his family, friends and fellow officers and police department staff looked on.

“It is a pleasure to swear in a new police officer to the Antioch Police Department,” said Chief Allan Cantando. “He’s a lateral hire from the Kern County Sheriff’s Department. Other officers are very happy he’s coming on, with the work load alone.”

As his parents and sister watch Hernandez takes his oath of office, administered by Antioch Mayor Wade Harper.

Cantando then read Hernandez’ brief bio.

Hernandez grew up in Santa Maria, California when at age 19 he moved to Bakersfield where he became a Deputy Sheriff for Kern County. There he worked for four years in the jail, courts and on patrol.

He likes to travel, watch sports, mainly the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Clippers (which solicited playful boos from those in attendance at the ceremony). A fun fact Cantando read, was that Hernandez broke his left arm playing leap frog at age 15, but then says he became more mature and made wiser decisions.

“I just want to thank everyone who came out today, my family and friends, and for their support,” Hernandez said.

He then mentioned officers Jason Erickson and Kevin Tjahjadi, who had also worked for the Kern County Sheriff’s Department and were instrumental in recruiting him to the APD.

“I look forward to working here and helping out in any way I can,” he added.

Cantando then spoke to Hernandez’ parents.

“The men and women who are going to train your son are second to none,” he stated. “It’s going to be a lot of work, a lot of hours and time away from friends and family. Thank you for supporting him as he transitions into the Antioch Police Department.”

This brings the force back to 94 sworn officers, following the departure of an officer from the department, last month.

By Sergeant Wisecarver, Antioch Police Special Operations Unit

On Thursday, April 14, 2016 at 9:35 am, Antioch Police Dispatch received reports of suspicious activity at a house in the 5400 block of Cherokee Way. Antioch Police Officers responded to the house to investigate the suspicious activity and found that this house had been converted into an indoor marijuana cultivation. The marijuana grow operation was determined to be illegal in nature.

The Antioch Police Department Special Operations Detectives were called out to the location. The detectives served a search warrant on the house. The detectives found a sophisticated marijuana cultivation operation to include over 200 mature marijuana plants. Evidence was collected from the location; however, there were no arrests made at this time.

This incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to contact Detective Brogdonat (925) 779-6895.

The remains of a Honda Ridgeline SUV whose driver caused an accident at A Street and Rossi Street, which ended at the westbound Highway 4 on ramp, late Tuesday night, April 12. photos by Allen Payton

By Allen Payton

On Tuesday, April 12, 2016, at approximately 10:01 pm, Antioch Police officers responded to the intersection of A St. and the Highway 4 on ramp on a report of a vehicle collision with a person trapped. Upon arrival, officers located a SUV that had collided into the rear of an occupied parked highway road crew cone truck. The collision caused major damage to both vehicles.

The driver of the SUV, a 35-year-old male from Antioch, and sole occupant of the vehicle had to be extricated from the vehicle by Contra Costa County Fire. The driver was transported to a local hospital with major injuries. The two occupants of the work truck were also transported to a local hospital with injuries that were considered to be minor.

Traffic control company truck (left) was struck by the SUV and ended up at the intersection of A Street and the Highway 4 on ramp.

The investigation revealed the driver of the SUV had collided into another vehicle at the intersection of A Street and Rossi Avenue just moments prior to the collision at A Street and Highway 4. There were no reported injuries in that collision.

That other car, driven by Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock was the first car hit by the driver of the SUV, as she was on her way home from the City Council meeting. But she was only sideswiped, taking off the passenger side mirror,  the damage was minor and she was not injured.

“I’m OK and it was my car he hit first” she said Wednesday morning. “I am blessed as it would have been really bad for me if he would have rear ended me at the high rate of speed he was going.”

“I thought he was going to hit and run, but then he went to the far right like he was going to get on the freeway,” Ogorchock continued. “But, then he swerved back to the left and that’s when he hit the back of the truck. He never hit the brakes.”

Asked if she remained at the scene, she replied, “I’m the one who called 9-11. I was on the phone and there were some people who were in the area running up to the car. One lady screamed. I was told by one man ‘he’s dead don’t go up there.’ I said ‘no he’s not dead, his head is moving’ and kept walking toward the car. That’s when Wade drove up. He asked me if I was OK, then also walked over to the car.”

“He was flying. It’s sad,” Ogorchock stated. “My thoughts and prayers are with the young man in the black vehicle and the CalTrans workers.”

“I appreciate how fast the police showed up,” she said. “The EMT’s and the firefighters. I’ve never been in that situation before. They were very calming, very soothing through the whole thing. You could really see the concern by the emergency response people for everyone involved.”

“There was an angel in my car, last night,” Ogorchock continued. “He hit the back of that truck and bent it under the frame,” she continued. “If he had hit me, he’d probably been in my back seat.”

“I left the the City Hall parking lot before Wade and (Councilwoman) Monica (Wilson),” she explained. “Monica drove by the scene but didn’t stop because she saw Wade and me, there, but didn’t know I was involved. She later told me ‘that car passed me.’”

“The driver’s name is Mike, that’s all I know. He told Wade that, last night,” Ogorchock added.

Antioch Mayor Wade Harper, also on his way home following the Council meeting, was one of the first on the scene, according to a TV cameraman.

In a Channel 7 TV news report, which referred to Harper as a guardian angel, he said “I just started to talk to him (the driver), make sure he’s coherent, talking to him telling him he would be OK.”

Police were still on scene at midnight, investigating the accident. The preliminary investigation indicates speed is a factor in the collision. It is unknown at this time if alcohol and/or drugs were involved.

No further information will be released at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Antioch Police at (925) 778-2441 or Traffic Officer Eric Johnsen at (925) 779-6900 ext. 84265. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

Antioch Police Sgt. Rick Martin #3343 contributed to this report.

Antioch Police Department Canine Unit. photo courtesy of APD

By Chief Allan Cantando

Please allow me to introduce your current, fully staffed Antioch Police Department canine unit. From left to right: Officer Ramirez and his partner Enzo, Officer McDonald and his partner Leroy, Officer Bledsoe and his partner Danto, Officer Harger and his partner Donna, Officer White and his partner Copper, and Officer Fachner and his partner Kane.

These phenomenal teams augment our Community Policing Bureau, with one team assigned to each patrol shift. They are trained in searching, article detection, apprehension, and narcotics. We are proud of our canine unit and hope that you are too!

By Sgt. Rick Martin #3343, Antioch Police Department

On Thursday April 7, 2016, at approx. 2:54 a.m., Antioch Police Officers responded to the intersection of Hillcrest Avenue and Sterling Hill Drive on a report of a solo vehicle collision. Upon arrival, Officers located a vehicle that had collided into a tree in the center median. The 26-year-old male driver from Richmond and sole occupant of the vehicle was pronounced deceased at the scene. Preliminary investigation indicates speed to be a factor in the collision. It is unknown at this time if alcohol and/or drugs were involved.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Antioch Police at (925) 778-2441 or Traffic Officer Eric Johnsen at 925-779-6900 ext. 84265. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

By Corporal Powell Meads, Antioch Police Field Services Bureau

On March 27th, 2016 at approximately 9:42 pm, officers in the Sycamore Drive area of Antioch heard numerous gunshots. APD dispatch then began receiving numerous 911 calls about a shooting on Spanos Street where a pregnant female had possibly been shot in the back. Officers arrived in the 2200 Block of Spanos Street and encountered a large gathering. The large group was not cooperative with the investigation and hostile towards the police officers. Additional police officers, including officers from Brentwood PD and Pittsburg PD, were called to the scene to assist. Once the scene was secure, the pregnant female was not located and officers did not locate any other injured persons.

The female victim, an 18-year-old Antioch resident, showed up at a local hospital a short time later with a gunshot wound to her back. It was determined that she was struck by a bullet fragment from a ricochet and her injuries were minor. Officers on scene determined that an unknown male opened fire on the gathering and fled on foot.

This case is still under investigation and officers are following up on suspect information. Anyone who has any information or may have witnessed this incident is encouraged to contact the Antioch Police Department at (925) 778-2441. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

By Acting Lieutenant Tom Fuhrmann, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

On Friday, March 11, 2016 at approximately 9:15 p.m., two males armed with handguns entered the Subway sandwich shop at the Streets of Brentwood and pointed guns at the employees and robbed the store of money from the cash register.

Shortly after the robbery in Brentwood, Antioch Police were dispatched to a robbery that had just occurred at the Little Caesars Pizza at 4819 Lone Tree Way. Just as the robbery in Brentwood, two males armed with handguns entered the business and pointed guns at the employees and robbed the business of money from the cash register. The two agencies shared information and determined that it was most likely the same people who committed both robberies.

On Saturday, March 12, Brentwood PD was able to obtain video of the two responsible of these

robberies, getting out of a vehicle at the Streets of Brentwood just prior to committing the first robbery. They were able to capture a license plate. That vehicle was determined to be registered to an address in Antioch. From there, Detectives from Antioch and Brentwood police departments began the laborious task of working to identify those responsible for these crimes.

On Saturday, March 19 at 2103 hours a lone gunman entered the Subway sandwich shop at 3020

Delta Fair Blvd. in Antioch and pointed a gun at the employees and robbed the store of money from the register. He fled prior to police being called and was not apprehended at the time. The gunman matched the description of one of the responsibles from the previous robberies.

Detectives had developed information on a 15-year-old male from Antioch as a possible suspect and subsequently arrested him on Auto Center Drive near Mahogany Way on the afternoon of Monday, March 21. The juvenile was booked into Juvenile Hall for Robbery and Conspiracy for the Brentwood and Antioch robberies on March 11. The juvenile was found to be in possession of a replica firearm at the time of his arrest.

On Wednesday, March 23 at 10:05 p.m. Antioch Police responded to yet another robbery. This one occurred at the Pizza Hut on Contra Loma Blvd. Just as in the Subway robbery on Delta Fair Blvd., the lone gunman entered the Pizza Hut and pointed the gun at an employee and robbed the business of money from the register. He fled prior to police being called and was not apprehended at the time. Again, the gunman matched the description of one of the responsibles from the previous robberies.

By Thursday, March 24 Antioch and Brentwood Detectives working together had identified 20-year-old Jonathan Sokoya of Stockton as the outstanding suspect that had robbed the Subway at the Streets of Brentwood and the Little Caesars in Antioch on March 11, as well as committing the additional two robberies in Antioch on March 19 and 23.

On March 24, armed with an arrest warrant, Antioch Police Detectives were able to apprehend Sokoya in Stockton without incident as he was being picked up in a car near his residence. Sokoya was in possession of a replica firearm at the time of his arrest, as well. Also in the car was 21-year-old Nicholas McBride of Antioch. McBride was determined to be the driver during some of these robberies and was taken into custody, as well.

Following the arrests, Antioch Detectives served a search warrant on Sokoya’s residence on Ian Ct. in Stockton where additional evidence of the robberies was recovered. Both were booked on conspiracy, accessory and robbery charges.

These cases have been presented to the Office of the District Attorney. The Office of the District Attorney is in the process of filing a myriad of charges including Robbery, Conspiracy and Accessory accordingly. Detectives are still reviewing the actions of this crew to determine if there are any other crimes that they are associated with. No further information will be released at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call Detective Colley with the Antioch Police Department at (925) 779-6922. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

New Antioch Police Officers German Blanco, left and Chris Motl, with Chief Allan Cantando following their oath of office ceremony, Monday, March 21. photo by APD

On Monday, during a ceremony at the Antioch Police Facility, two new police officers were added to the force, Antioch resident Chris Motl and Hayward native German Blanco.

Chief Allan Cantando shared the following information about each of the new officers:

Officer Chris Motl grew up in Antioch, California and was an Explorer for the Antioch Police Department from 2005-2009.  During high school Chris played water polo, was on the swim team and wrestled. He graduated from Antioch High School in 2006.

He joined the United States Marine Corps as an Infantry Machine Gunner and served one tour in Ramadi, Iraq. While in Iraq, Chris drove an MRAP and received an award for driving on missions for other squads as well as his own. He obtained an Associate of Science Degree in Administration of Justice from American River College. He is excited to begin his career as an Antioch Police Officer and contribute to bettering the community that he grew up in.

Chris likes to surf, hike, and practice martial arts during his free time.

Funny Fact – When Chris was an Explorer for Antioch PD he got to tour San Quentin Prison. At lunch they served the same food that the prisoners ate and he was the only one in the group to eat the bologna sandwich provided by the prison. During the tour Chris received numerous cat calls from inmates due to his “model” looks.

Officer German Blanco was born in Hayward, California and was raised in Modesto. He graduated from Grace M. Davis High School in 2008 where he played basketball all four years. He was the team leading scorer as well as Team MVP, Conference MVP, 1st team All District, and an All-state nominee. He continued playing basketball for Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill. German also played basketball at Columbia College in Sonora, California where he led his team in scoring as well. While in College, German studied General Education and Criminal Justice.

Prior to getting hired with the Antioch Police Department, German was a Correctional Officer with the Napa County Department of Corrections for nearly two years. He gained invaluable law enforcement experience while working in custody. German completed the 179^th basic police academy at the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Law Enforcement Training Center in March, 2016.  German has been with his fiancée, Vanessa for seven years and they are tying the knot this year in Pacifica, California. (German chose to write that about his fiancée because he did not want her to get mad if he didn’t include her.)

Blanco enjoys anything fitness related and he is a regular at his gym where he trains four to six days a week. However, he loves food to the point where everyone who knows him well calls him the human garbage disposal. German and his fiancée enjoy going on cruises together and he proposed to Vanessa on a cruise.

Funny Fact – German’s mother has a nickname she has called him since he was a toddler and still does until this day. She calls him Peanut head because she thinks his head is small and German kind of agrees.

Their addition brings the total to 94 sworn police officers in the department.